The Ministry of Education and Sports has started the process that will lead to the merger and restructuring of different Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) assessment bodies.
Currently, there are four examinations and assessment bodies involved in skills development.
These are the Directorate of Industrial Training-DIT, the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board-UBTEB, the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examination Board-UNMEB, and the Uganda Allied Health Examinations Board-UAHEB.
Ketty Lamaro, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, says that the government wants to create a lean TVET structure and has decided to merge the existing bodies into two.
“The health science assessment bodies, that is, Uganda Allied Health Examinations Board (UAHEB) and Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examination Board (UNMEB) into one body, Uganda health professional’s assessment board, as well as the Directorate of Industrial Training—DIT, and Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board—UBTEB into one body, Uganda vocational and technical assessment board,” Lamaro’s communication reads in part.
She also said that the goal of this reform is to make the trainees’ skills and awards more respected in East Africa and the rest of the world.
Uganda Radio Network has heard that the planned merger is already causing worry and unease in the organizations that will be affected. Several employees are afraid of losing their jobs.
One UBTEB staff member told our reporter, “We are already in trouble. No one is sure of what is coming next.”
With the plan laid out, Dr. Silver Mugisha, the chairperson of UBTEB, notes that there is a need to expedite the process as it is already affecting performance in the sub-sector. Mugisha said that this should be cleared up once and for all when he talked about the UBTEB exam results on Tuesday afternoon.
The process is in its final stage, said John Chrysostom Muyingo, the Minister of State for Higher Education. He explained that at the core of this specific merger is the TVET Bill, which is expected to repeal a number of the Acts that created the existing bodies.
Muyingo further said that the TVET Bill is currently before the cabinet and, in the next few days, it will be tabled before parliament.
The Cabinet approved a resolution to streamline ministries, departments, and agencies—MDAs in 2021. During the restructure, some directorates are expected to disappear, while others will move into departments.
Over 180 MDAs and other institutions will be affected by the merger, which would result in a workforce reduction that will save close to Shs988 billion on salaries.